This document claims priority and contains subject matter related to Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-004725, filed on Jan. 12, 2001, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-390031, filed on Dec. 21, 2001, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, a facsimile, a printer, a scanner, and other similar apparatuses, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus in which a large-size original document or transfer sheet is smoothly fed into a main body of the image forming apparatus.
2. Discussion of the Background
A tip portion of a large-size original document or transfer sheet tends to curl. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 1, in a background image forming apparatus, a large-size original document 1 is not easily fed into a scanner 2 for an image reading through a clearance 4 formed below a cover 3 because a tip portion 5 of the large-size original document 1 is curled. Therefore, an operator has to remove the curl of the original document 1, which is additional work for the operator. Further, when a large number of original documents are copied, the amount of work performed by the operator is significantly increased.
For example, when feeding the original document 1 with the curled portion 5, the operator may press the curled portion 5 with both hands 6 (see FIG. 2) so the curled portion 5 lies flat. However, when the original document 1 is thin, the operator may not be able to uniformly flatten the curled portion 5. Thus, a leading edge of the original document 1 forms a waveform as illustrated in FIG. 2. Then, the right and left edges of the leading edge of the original document 1, as well as the central portion, abut against the cover 3. Thus, the leading edge portion of the original document 1 cannot be fed any further or the original document 1 is folded.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to solve the above-noted and other problems.
To solve these and other problems, the present invention provides a novel image forming apparatus in which a large-size original document or transfer sheet is smoothly fed into a main body of the image forming apparatus without curling a leading edge portion of the original document or folding the document.
According to one example of the present invention, the image forming apparatus includes a guide member arranged in a region where an original document or transfer sheet is fed into the main body of the image forming apparatus. The guide member is provided to press and flatten the original document or transfer sheet. Further, the guide member includes an edge portion curled in an upward direction, which is arranged at a position facing a leading edge of the original document or transfer sheet.